The Best Companion Plants for Tomatoes, Plus Tips to Make Sure Yours Thrive (2024)

If you're thinking about growing tomatoes in your garden, you might want to consider companion planting. Companion planting is a method of placing certain plants together to help each other by reducing and repelling certain pests, adding nutrients to the soil, minimizing weeds, and generally encouraging each plant to thrive. Tomatoes have a couple of friendly companion plants that help produce beautifully juicy tomatoes. If you're unsure of where to start, we asked several gardening experts about which plants you should grow with your tomatoes, as well as some tips and tricks to keep in mind for a bountiful tomato harvest this year.

Why You Should Consider Companion Planting for Your Tomatoes

Growing tomatoes from seeds or seedlings takes several months before you'll reap the rewards of a juicy, fresh-off-the-vine ripe tomato. During that time, pests like hornworms or aphids may want to munch on the leaves, weakening the plant—but companion planting can help. "Growing tomatoes with companion plants offers a range of benefits, from keeping unwanted pests at bay to attracting beneficial insects that help your tomatoes thrive," says Misti Mathis, co-owner of Harvest Gold Organics. "Some companions even improve the soil and offer shade or support for your tomato plants, and some folks even believe they can enhance the flavor and growth of your tomatoes."

Plants that don't get very tall, like many herbs, are wonderful companions to tomatoes because they can utilize space and reduce weeds. "Using companion plants that cover the soil under staked tomatoes can conserve water and inhibit weeds," says Richard Zondag, horticulturist and retired president of Jung Seed Company. Plants that like each other mean a more successful garden and a better harvest.

Best Companion Plants for Tomatoes

Start with these suggestions if you're looking for the right companion plants for your tomatoes.

Basil

Tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella make a delicious caprese salad and in the garden, basil and tomato plants are a splendid combination because they optimize soil space, provide shade, and repel pests. "Basil is a good choice to plant with tomatoes because they are not in direct competition for space or nutrients," says Isabel Branstrom, vegetable product development manager for PanAmerican Seed. This savory herb emits scents that repel pests, too, notably thrip.

Chives

Chives are an herb and are part of the onion (or allium) family. They attract pollinators and resist pests making them a great companion plant. "Chives can repel aphids, spiders, and mites that will damage the growth and fruiting of the tomatoes," says Zondag. And, according to Branstrom, when chives flower, they also attract bumblebees, which help with the pollination of tomato flowers.

Garlic

Tomatoes and garlic make a delicious pairing, whether it's roasted tomatoes in garlic, tomato soup, or a garlicky tomato sauce. Garlic and tomatoes are garden pals, too."Garlic and tomatoes make great companion plants because garlic’s strong smell can help repel pests, such as aphids and spider mites, reducing the likelihood of infestations," says Carrie Spoonemore, co-creator of Park Seed’s From Seed to Spoon app.When grown near each other, fungi and diseases are reduced too, she adds.

Lettuce

Because lettuce grows low to the ground, it minimizes weeds and retains some of the moisture under the tomato plants."Lettuce is a cooler season crop, so it can benefit from the shade of a tomato plant," says Branstrom.

Sage

A savory herb with oval, silvery-green leaves, sage is also considered one of the best companion plants for tomatoes. "Its strong scent helps ward off unwanted tomato pests like cabbage moths and carrot flies, protecting your precious tomatoes from insect damage," says Mathis.

Thyme

Thyme is a hardy herb that complements many savory dishes. In the garden, thyme and tomato grown together minimize pests while attracting pollinators. "Thyme’s strong scent can help deter pests by masking the scent of tomatoes and making them less attractive," Spoonemore says. "Thyme can also attract beneficial insects that prey on pests and help pollinate your tomato plants.""

Marigolds

Pom-pom style flowers in vibrant hues of red, orange, or yellow, marigolds reduce unwanted insects that feast on tomato plants."Marigolds attract beneficial insects that prey on pests, leading to a healthier and more resilient plant," says Spoonemore. Some flowers can distract insects to their petals so they're less likely to bother your tomatoes. "A flower may be more attractive to an insect than a tomato plant due to color, scent, or even petal shape," says Branstrom. "French marigolds contain the chemical limonene, which can deter white flies, another sap-sucking insect often found in vegetable gardens."

Nasturtiums

Bright reddish-orange hued flowers and sometimes bright sunny yellow, nasturtium flowers deter pests and protect the soil. "Nasturtiums are beneficial to growing a healthy tomato because they keep away pests such as aphids and whiteflies, and their large, circular leaves spread across the topsoil like a blanket," says Mathis. "This helps keep the soil from drying out, protects it from being washed away by rain, and even keeps the tomato roots nice and cool."

Heather Kibble, home grown sales manager for Sakata Seed America, Inc, likes to plant nasturtiums in her landscape. "I use a lot of nasturtiums around my garden," Kibble says. "They bring brightly colored flowers, beneficial insects, hold back weeds, and are easy to remove if they start to take over."

Tips for Growing Companion Plants with Tomatoes

Gardening often requires a bit of trial and error as you figure out what plants grow well in your region and get to know the areas in your garden with sufficient sunlight and quality soil. Companion planting for tomatoes can take some practice and patience.Keep the following tips in mind.

Give Plants Space

Overcrowding your plants can prevent them from growing properly. "It is tempting to space too close or overfill containers in the spring when the baby plants are tiny," says Kibble. "If maximizing yield is your goal, be sure and give your plants the room they need to mature to full size." Otherwise, they may not have access to sufficient space for roots to grow, expand, and access water.

"Overplanting an area can leave plants competing for resources and prevent them from thriving," says Branstrom. "The best way to avoid this is to follow spacing recommendations and keep in mind the mature size of each plant." She also suggests reading seed packets, plant tags, or seed companies’ websites for spacing and plant size guidance.

Zondag says that companion plants can be planted 4 to 6 inches away from the tomato plants without interfering with their root system.

Consider the Shade

Think about what you hope to achieve with companion planting and plan your edible garden accordingly. Protecting the soil is important when gardening and deciding on companion plants. Plants that shade the soil keep moisture in the soil longer and inhibit weed seed germination, says Zondag."You can use a spacing that aligns with your goals, [such as] planting lettuce in the row next to your tomato to utilize the shade," says Branstrom.

Monitor Your Plants

Checking on your garden and looking at your tomato plants occasionally will provide clues to their health. You can also detect any pests when you're actively looking at the leaves. "Regularly monitoring and addressing any potential pest or disease issues can help maintain a healthy and productive garden," says Spoonemore.

Anticipate Size

All plants need water, soil, and sun to thrive. "Knowing how big each plant will get helps them all work together without fighting for resources," says Mathis. If plants become too big and compete with each other for space, it can lead to stunted growth or fungal diseases. "Good airflow between plants also helps minimize disease, as it gives foliage a chance to dry and not foster mildew," says Branstrom.

Know Your Growing Region

Everyone wants to grow their favorite herbs, veggies, and flowers. Before digging into companion planting, know what plants grow well in your climate zone. Some plants do best in certain areas, while others won't grow at all, so plan for success by knowing what thrives in your local area.

Rotate Plants

Plants extract nutrients from the soil. Adding compost to the soil and changing the placement of where you plant each season are ways to add nutrients and keep the soil healthy. "Another common mistake is not rotating plants every season to prevent nutrition depletion or replenishing the soil with natural fertilizers or compost," says Spoonemore. Not only is rotating crops beneficial for the soil, it's a simple way to reduce pests and diseases. "Switch up where you plant things each year so pests and diseases don't settle in any one area," says Mathis.

Take Notes

When you start growing a garden, it's easy to think you'll remember all the details of what you planted and when. But then, the plants grow, and you may not recognize the landscape. Take notes or have a designated garden journal where you sketch what you planted, jot down the date, variety, and any other piece of information that may be helpful during the growing season or even a year later when you're planning your garden again."There is a lot of trial and error that goes into companion planting and deciding what works best for your garden," says Branstrom. "It is important to remember what you tried, the successes and the failures, so you can continue to enjoy the fruit of your labor (and learning each season!)."